Mission Accomplished: How doctors conducted heart surgeries on 30 children

…giving a second chance of life to kids who had limited natural timeframe to live

By Benedict Tembo

A team of specialised doctors conducted heart surgeries on 30 patients, giving a second chance of life to children whose clock was fast ticking out.
The 17-member specialists comprised Italians, Tanzanians and Zambians who converged on the National Heart Hospital in the heart of Lusaka from September 21 to 28, 2024.
In the end, successful was the underlining word. But not as easy as that.
Chabwela Shumba was an integral member of the team from Congenital Heart Academy (CHA) in Italy that performed the heart procedures.
The procedures included 15 minimally invasive surgical procedures and 15 open heart surgeries.
“The experience has been great and with capacity building, mentorship and exchange of best practice,” Dr Shumba said of the phenomenal medical mission to Lusaka.
The 30 heart procedures on children were the outcome of the medical mission last month which was a joint mission between NHH, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) and the Congenital Heart Academy of Italy and Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) of Israel.
Italian surgeon who works with SACH Dr Salvatore Agati led the team to Lusaka.
Dr Agati said the all children treated had less than six months of natural survival and surgery or intervention was the real second chance of life.
He said the medical mission has positioned NHH as one the referral centres in Africa.
Dr Agati said the experience at NHH confirmed the work done by the international training programme managed by Save a Child Heart in Tel Aviv to build a professional Zambian team composed of Dr Ziwa (cardiac surgeon), Felix Kamuchungu, the perfusionist and one anaesthesiologist.
“Particularly the work done by Dr Lior Sasson represents a real investment in healthcare of Zambia. It’s so difficult to train a congenital cardiac surgeon because this job is full of challenges, technical difficulties, mindset and difficult morale moments,” he said.
Dr Agati said Dr Sasson with the training of Dr Ziwa demonstrated amazing capacity of teaching a cardiac surgeon and mostly a man and this is unique in the medicine world.
Dr Mudanizo Ziwa, trained by SACH in Israel and Agati were the two lead paediatric cardiac surgeons.
Others were Dr Paulo Guccione and Dr Evans Mulendele pediatric cardiologists who participated in undertaking the cardiac intervention in Catheters Laboratories.
Others were Felix Kamuchungu, a Heart Lung Machine technician trained in Israel who worked with his Italian counterparts and Dr Vivienne Mlawi, paediatric intensive care specialist from JKCI.
Dr Mlawi, who travelled with doctors and nurses from JKCI to work with NHH team, also trained in Israel for three years in pediatric intensive care. She was joined by a team of doctor and Intensive Care Unit nurses from Tanzania and Italy and also by Anasthesilogist Dr Alex Loth from JKCI Tanzania who also trained in Israel.
Dr Loth worked hand in hand with Zambian anaesthesiologist Dr Michael Kangwa who also trained in Israel for two years through SACH.
The Italian team came from two Italian hospitals Centro Cardiologico Pediatrico del Mediterraneo “Bambino Gesu” Ospedale San Vincenzo – Taormina.
Seven NHH nurses trained with Vivienne at JKCI over the past year funded by SACH
Dr Alex Loth, a Cardiac anaesthesiologist trained in Israel from JKCI came to work with Dr Michael Kangwa from NHH who also trained in Israel with SACH
The medical mission came on the heels of a major fundraising event in Toronto, Canada and much of the funds raised were being directed to covering SACH activities in Zambia including flights for JKCI and CHA experts to Lusaka.
The medical mission was firsthand experience by Zambian patients how Israeli knowledge shared with Zambian medics is now saving the lives of Zambian children.
Simon Fisher, SACH Executive Director said all the catheter devices that were implanted in Catheters during the medical mission to Lusaka, including echo machines SACH ordered for NHH and Zambian medical staff being trained in Israel and in Tanzania were raised from donors who intend continue to support future missions.
Kamuchungu, a Heart Lung Machine technician trained in Israel based at NHH, was trained at Edith Wolfson University Medical Centre in Holon, Tel Aviv Israel.
The Edith Wolfson University Medical Centre has a state of the art cardiac centre for both children and adults.
“My area of specialisation is Paediatric Cardiovascular Perfusion as Save A Child’s Heart is a non-profit making NGO that is responsible for facilitating life-saving heart surgery to children, especially those in vulnerable countries and also capacity building by training the medical personnel in super specialised fields that make up the comprehensive cardiac care team,” Kamuchungu says.
Kamuchungu says despite the centre being a paediatric centre, he also spent some time with some adult cardiac surgical patients owing to the fact that in Zambia, there is no one who has ever specialised in this field of Extracorporeal Technology (blood circulation outside the body by-passing the heart and lungs either for reparative procedures or to give either the heart and or lungs some time to recuperate owing to either illness or organ failure).
“In a nutshell training in Israel was a full package that offered me hands on skills and knowledge befitting international standards with the world’s best infrastructure and equipment coupled with highly qualified and seasoned educators and mentors under the unparalleled stewardship of Save A Childs Heart ( SACH),” Kamuchungu says.
Kamuchungu says as a Cardiovascular Perfusionist, his roles are not limited to operating the heart and lung machine during open heart surgery but also managing patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), Intra Aortic Balloon Pump ( IABP), Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) among others.
“I am privileged to be the first Zambian to be trained in this rare specialty. This privilege though comes with a multitude of responsibilities and pressure,” he says